Review: MainMain Cafe at Choo Cheng Khay

Toying thoughtfully with contemporary notions of what KL’s most memorable cafes can be, MainMain opened recently on a backstreet row of decades-old flats, perhaps a 200-metre walk from the Maharajalela monorail station; it could transform swiftly from a hidden secret to a huge success.

MainMain seems to be run by former newspaper reporters who spent many months creating this cafe, filled with salvaged furnishing for a playfully nostalgic effect that’s well bolstered by a jukebox-era soundtrack that spans ‘California Dreamin” to ‘Wooden Heart,’ ‘Oh! Carol’ to ‘Save The Last Dance For Me.’

Chinese Influence

The food here is mainly Chinese fare that’s meant to feel comfortingly home-cooked, like this pumpkin-laced rice (RM9.90). 

Chicken soup with Shaoxing wine (RM10.90). The menu’s not wide, but there’s enough for lunch here.

Desserts

Desserts might also look reassuringly familiar, with the likes of pumpkin cakes … 

… plus pistachio cakes and chilled mascarpone with rum and raisin, all brought to us by the folks behind Poco Homemade.

No Coffee Here

MainMain steers clear of coffee, concentrating instead on a selection of premium Oriental tea. This one’s rose-fragrant indeed.

Lots of lovely details here; worth a stop for customers seeking a calm little hideout for an hour or two.

Location and Contact Details:

Main Main Cafe
Jalan Choo Cheng Khay, Off Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur
Daily, 11am-8pm. Tel: 03-9274-1124

Find Main Main Cafe’s directory listing here.